The ongoing political situation has taken a dramatic turn as investigative journalist David Hundeyin has brought to light a past tweet by Festus Keyamo, a current government minister and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The tweet, which was made in 2019, now has new implications. A WAEC certificate may not be necessary to become President or Governor, but presenting a fake certificate to INEC would result in disqualification.
This revelation is significant in light of recent allegations surrounding the certificate of President Bola Tinubu from Chicago State University (CSU). Caleb Westberg, the CSU Registrar, clarified in his deposition that the diploma submitted by Tinubu to Nigeria's electoral commission, INEC, did not originate from CSU. Although he did not directly accuse the President of procuring the certificate from online businesses, he hinted that such documents could be available from such sources.
The situation became even more controversial when discrepancies were discovered between the CSU certificate presented by Tinubu to INEC in June 2022 and another CSU certificate provided in response to a previous subpoena - this led to legal challenges, with Atiku Abubakar, who lost the presidency bid to Tinubu, seeking a U.S. Court's intervention for a subpoena to clarify the matter.
Hundeyin's strategic unveiling of Keyamo's tweet is a taunt, reminding the minister of his previous stance. The tweet's implications suggest potential grounds for disqualification, and the political landscape is buzzing with discussion. As the matter heads to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the outcome promises to leave an indelible mark on the nation's politics.
